| The Dragon Author: Juliatheyounger Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and all the talented people at Mutant Enemy etc own these characters. I am just playing with them. Spoilers: Season 5. The Gift. Rating: PG so far. Feedback: Yes Please!! (and thanks for all the feedback for past chapters!) Distribution: Again, Yes Please, but in the remote possibility that you want to put my story somewhere, please let me know so I can be suitably flattered. Summary: Dawn has been living with her father ever since the Gift. Seven years later she returns to Sunnydale and finds that things and people she no longer believes in are still very real. D/S Author�s Note: I know, there�s something verging on the not right about Spike/Dawn ships, (no offence to the fantastic non-sexual Dawn/Spike writers out there) but I was always loved stuff like the Ghost and Mrs Muir, Beetlegueuse etc, where the little girl is friends with the supernatural creature. I wanted a grown up Dawn to come back and find her magic dragon. ***************************************************** Chapter 3: Friends A slightly harassed looking young woman opened the door. "Yes, can I help you?" "Anya?" Dawn asked. "Yes? I'm Anya Harris. I am married to Xander Harris." "Hello, my name's Dawn Summers -" Dawn didn't finish because Anya was yelling into the house. "Xander! Its Dawn! Come quick before she disappears again!" Xander was at the door. He was older but essentially the same Xander that Dawn remembered, except his hair was shorter, and neater. "Dawnster?" "Hello Xander," Dawn smiled. They were so pleased to see her. And they remembered her. She felt wanted. "Come 'ere," Xander said and pulled her into a huge hug. "We missed you Dawnie!" He pulled back and surveyed her. "Look how much you've grown." "Yes, she has become very attractive," noted Anya. Dawn felt like a little girl again. Only now she didn't mind being fussed over. Two small heads suddenly poked around the doorframe. There were whispers. "Who's that Mommy?" "Dawn, you will have to excuse the children, they haven't met you before." Dawn smiled at the children. "You two have kids now?" "Two girls," said Anya. Xander beamed proudly. "Felicity and Elizabeth Dawn." He picked up the smallest girl. "She was named after you and Buffy," said Anya. Dawn smiled. "Buffy would have been pleased." "You must come in," said Anya. Dawn noted that Anya still talked very precisely. Dawn was ushered inside the house. It was a bright friendly looking home. Toys were scattered about the living room and finger-painted pictures were hung on the walls. Xander apparently ran his construction business from home and as the phone rang he disappeared into his office for a moment. Anya bustled about making coffee. The children were fascinated by Dawn and sat next to her, one on either side. "What's your name?" Elizabeth Dawn asked. "Dawn," said Dawn. "My second name's Dawn," the little girl replied proudly. "My name's Felicity Harris," said the other girl not to be out done. Anya came into the room with a plate of cookies and some cake. "Let me help-" began Dawn. "No, you are company, you have to sit and be amused by my children." The children grabbed for a cookie each. Anya returned and sat down on the flower-covered sofa next to Dawn. "So when were you and Xander married?" Dawn said, noting the wedding photos on the wall. "Five years ago, it was a Spring wedding and very tasteful," said Anya. "It is very nice to see you again Dawn. When you left we lost all contact with you. Giles wouldn't tell us where you lived. He said you'd contact us when you were ready." "What happened to Giles?" "He went back to England," said Anya. "He came to our wedding though." Xander came back into the room then. He ruffled Felicity's hair and placed a kiss on Anya's head as he sat down next to her. "The G-man is apparently a Librarian again," Xander said reaching for his coffee. He grinned at Dawn. "So Dawnie, what have you been doing, you have to tell us everything. And I mean everything." Anya beamed. "We are quite pleased to see you again Dawn." Dawn felt a little overwhelmed. It was so nice to see these people again. And they were so normal. Yesterday seemed like a dream. "Well I'm going to college in Boston at the moment. Dad's in New York," she rolled her eyes. "He just divorced his second wife and he's being majorly clingy." "That's so sad," said Anya. "Xander would never divorce me." Dawn sighed. "My father has issues." "How long you here for Dawnster?" Xander asked. He never got over that big brother attitude towards her, Dawn thought. "Just for a few days. I just - I felt like it was the right time to come back you know." They talked about everything that had happened since Dawn had been away. Anya describing in graphic detail her pregnancies and the births of her daughters, the various ailments they had succumbed to as well as everything Xander had been doing. They also probed Dawn mercilessly for information about her life. All the names and faces in her memory were coming to life as Anya and Xander talked about things that had happened. "You have to go and see Willow," Xander said when Dawn told him she hadn't been able to find her name in the phone book. "I'll get you her address." "Is she still with Tara?" Dawn asked. "Oh, yes, she is still a lesbian and a w-" Anya stopped, looking at the children. "W- I- T- C-" "Honey," Xander interrupted her as he walked back into the room. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to talk about that anymore." "I know we agreed Xander, but this is Dawn, she knows about all that." Xander shot an embarrassed glance at Dawn, then turned back to Anya. "An, we'll talk about this later." Anya looked at him. He seemed serious. "Fine, we won't talk about that." She smiled apologetically at Dawn. "Xander has gotten very protective since we had the girls. He doesn't want them affected by any of..that." Dawn smiled politely, unsure what they were talking about. Preferring to think that it must have something to do with Willow's lifestyle. Anya had started to spell witch. Willow and Tara had been into wiccan practices. She couldn�t quite reconcile belief in another type of religion with why Xander didn't want to talk about it. Probably something to do with the fact that she's a witch, a dark voice in her head added. Dawn pointedly ignored it. "Oh here's Wills address anyway, she lectures at the University now. You might be able to catch her there if she's not at home." "Thanks," Dawn said putting the paper in her handbag. "You haven't seen Spike yet have you?" Anya suddenly asked. "Um, yes, yesterday, when I was visiting Buffy and Mom's graves." Anya and Xander exchanged glances. An unspoken question passed between them. Xander shook his head. Dawn frowned. "More coffee?" Anya asked. She stood up without waiting for a reply. "Xander will you come and help me in the kitchen please." Xander got the not so subtle hint and followed his wife into the kitchen. Anya smiled brightly at Dawn then shut the door. Dawn almost smiled. "We have to tell her," said Anya as she shut the door. "Should we tell her?" "You heard Dawn honey, she's only here for a few days, she already saw him and nothing bad happened then, its for the best." "Xander, I humour this obsession of yours for pretending nothing abnormal is going on, but he might hurt her." "An - you heard her, she's been in therapy for years, do you really think she's going to be able to handle us talking about that kind of thing." "That's what therapy is for Xander, to make people able to handle things." "Anya - " "And what if he goes and sees her?" Xander hesitated. "Ok, honey, we'll tell her." They returned to the "Dawn," began Anya. "Spike's lost his chip." Dawn looked at them. "His�chip?" "He hasn't been�feeding, that we know of, but�it would probably be safest if you stayed away from him. He's been in L.A. helping Angel recently, but�" "What do you�what do you mean?" Now these normal people were talking about things, things that had only been in her imagination. Dawn wanted to wake up. "His chip has stopped functioning. I guess the batteries ran out or something." "We only found out because, well Xander here can get a bit hot under the collar and he said something, that, well you regret it now don't you Xander - but Spike hit him." "And didn't get a headache." Xander rubbed his jaw, remembering. Dawn was looking at them incredulously. "Are�are you saying�are you telling me that�Spike really is�." Dawn glanced at the children who were by now very bored with the conversation and were playing with Legos on the floor. "This will probably sound strange, but, is Spike a V-A-M-P-I-R-E?" Anya and Xander both nodded. They exchanged glances. "Dawn�you do remember what -" "Oh Xander - maybe she doesn't!" Xander looked at Anya, clearly troubled. Dawn stood up. "I - I should get going if I'm going to call on Willow today." "Dawn, do you - what I mean is, do you need to talk about anything�" "I'm fine, thank you," Dawn turned to Anya. "Thanks for the coffee. It was lovely to see you both again, but I really have to go." "Ok�" said Anya hesitantly. Then whispered loudly to Xander. "Stop her Xander, she's clearly troubled." Xander shot Anya an irritated look. She returned a look that said "What?". "Dawn, we didn't mean anything by, by that, we're just joking ok?" "Its ok, Xander, I just really have to go now, ok?" Dawn gave Xander a hug and then hugged Anya. She stopped and rummaged in her purse. She pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down her address and phone number in Boston. "Here, just so we can keep in touch." Anya took the paper and wiped away a tear. "Thank you Dawn. Make sure you call. It was lovely to see you again." "Bye Dawn," said Xander. The little girls came to the door. "Bye Elizabeth Dawn, bye Felicity," she waved at them. Dawn smiled, they were such a picture of a normal, happy family, despite... A tinge of something hurt Dawn and she quickly thought about something else. **************************** "Dawn! Hi! Wow, you look so different!" Willow gave Dawn a hug and they sat down at a table at the coffee shop. "Gees Willow, you're a professor now!" "Yep, Comparative Religion. Probably something to do with being a Jewish girl growing up with Charlie Brown Christmas specials." Dawn grinned. Willow looked great, she had the whole hippy thing going, Dawn loved her skirt. "So Dawnie, I can't believe you're back! When did you get in?" "Yesterday. Xander gave me your number. I couldn't find you in the phone book." Willow pulled a face. "The price of giving bad grades, I had to get a silent number." "Willow, don't tell me you're one of those harsh lecturers!" "Not much, I'm just fair." Now this was a world Dawn felt right at home in. Students sat around the coffee shop discussing essays, readings, exams and the meaning of life. "How's Tara?" "She's great. She's doing a research project at the moment. It's not fair, she's getting paid to play with spells!" Dawn looked up at Willow, biting her lip. "Willow, I have to ask you some questions, and I need you to be honest with me. I need to know the truth." Willow nodded, a little concerned by how serious Dawn looked. Xander had called her, just a bit before Dawn did. He'd told her what had happened. "Sure Dawn. Is, is it ok, here?" Dawn nodded. Here was good. It felt real. ************************************** Two weeks ago Buffy had died. Two weeks ago. They tried to be kind, all of them. They told her it wasn't her fault. Except him. She hadn't seen him since they made him leave the body. Every moment, every second, every minute, Dawn felt guilt. The pain of it made her sick. An empty hollow worm in her stomach twisting to remind her: Buffy was gone and it was her fault. Her heart felt like a heavy stone. She couldn't cry. She could only feel like an awful dead thing. She curled up under the bridge, glad of the cold, glad of the darkness. "Nibblet." Suddenly his arms were around her, holding him to her, too tightly. She didn't understand what he said, the stream of words he mumbled into her hair as he held her to him, but they were full of relief, repentance, grief. And as he held her Dawn began to sob, letting out all the pain until her stomach no longer twisted and the stone of her heart was lighter. And then she knew Spike was sobbing too. They clung to each other, choking on their shared grief. ************************************* Dawn lay awake in her bed. Everything she thought was real was false, made up by monks, everything she had come to believe as false had actually happened. She had spent the day with Willow asking her everything she could think of. And everything, everything she had been told, everything she had thought, was just her imagination, it had all been real. The pain inside Dawn was too much. She couldn't bear it anymore. Yet, there was relief there, and new questions. Memories were resurfacing. Memories had been coming back ever since she'd come to Sunnydale, but since her talk with Willow they had come in a flood. It was all her fault. She tossed and turned in bed, the memories almost agony. Not really thinking, Dawn got up and got dressed. Pulling on her coat she left the hotel room and went into the night. Spike walked through the cemetery, stopping by Buffy and Joyce's graves as he always did. He gently brushed away a few stray leaves that had settled on them during the day. "She didn't come back today," he said. "Should be happy, 'spose. She's got herself a normal life now." He sat down next to Buffy's headstone. "Sorry pet that I didn't understand that about you. Maybe if I hadn't told you about Riley, maybe if I hadn't tried to make him jealous, he'd 've stayed. You could've got the government to blow up Glory and you two coulda lived happily ever after." Over the past seven years, Spike had pretty much refined an extensive list of Things to Feel Guilty For In Regards To Buffy. Interfering In The Buffy/Riley Relationship was number 74 but it was still on the list. Not Letting Buffy Have a Normal Life was number 11. In seven years Spike had managed to mix and match pretty much all items in his list at one point or another quite successfully. He sighed, when Dawn had arrived in the crypt the day before, for a moment, he'd felt forgiven. Soon fixed that, thought Spike. He knew he was more maudlin than bloody Angel, but he didn't care. Angel grieved for unknowns he'd slaughtered without care. Spike grieved for one person he'd loved too much, his Slayer. He got up and walked home. There were no vampires anymore, the hellmouth had closed and as far as he knew another hadn't opened. If any vampires were silly enough to show up they soon found themselves on the business end of his stake. It was the least he could do for Buffy. Dawn walked through the dark cemetery. It was a bit spooky actually and she wished she'd brought a torch. What had she been thinking, it wasn't like it was a house she was going to, it was a crypt for crying out loud. Apparently a vampire's lair. Ok, it was a vampire's lair. She found it in the dark, year old memories guiding her unerringly to the place. She pushed open the door. It was dark inside. "Spike?" There was no answer. Dawn walked into the crypt. She couldn't see a thing. Ok, this was ridiculous. What was she doing? Somehow she thought coming here would make the pain go away. Somehow. She turned around and walked outside, straight into Spike. "Dawn?" His voice was filled with surprise, and hope. "Spike?" She was shivering now. "Its me Lil' bit." He pushed open the door. "Come inside." He strode into the crypt and soon had candles lit. He pulled off his duster and put it over her shoulders. He noticed that Dawn was about as tall as him now. Maybe even a quarter of an inch taller. He looked at her, still trembling, her large eyes full of unwept tears. There was pain on her face too. Something twisted in Spike's stomach. "What�s wrong Nibblet?" Dawn looked at him and the concern and harsh sadness written on his face was suddenly too much. She didn't say anything she just threw herself into his arms and burst into tears. Spike wrapped his arms around her, the ice inside his chest suddenly breaking and he found himself sobbing too. Finally the storm of weeping ceased. Dawn rested against Spike, comforted at last. Unconsciously he traced patterns on her back with his fingers. Dawn raised her eyes to Spike's. Her face was red and tearstained. Spike gave her a half grin, a bit embarrassed by his own tears. "Feeling better?" Dawn sniffed and nodded. She fished a tissue out of her handbag and blew her nose. "I'm sorry I left Spike," she whispered. "S'alright Nibblet, wasn't your fault. Besides, its not like I missed you or anything." Spike's eyes twinkled. Dawn grinned at him. She was happy with this reality. To be continued. |